Authorities in Indiana are appealing for witnesses to assist them with information regarding the death of a mother of six who was struck by a stray bullet while she was driving home and talking to one of her children on the phone.
Per ABC7 Chicago, Gary police said the incident happened on the night of September 6, adding that officers were at the scene to investigate an altercation when Kia Tidwell, 42, was fatally struck.
Authorities said the shooting occurred after an altercation that preceded the subsequent one. Kia’s family has since been left in limbo as witnesses are not coming forward to provide information.
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“She didn’t live here anymore, but she defended Gary tooth and nail. In the end, for her to be taken out by all the people she advocated for, it’s sad,” Kia’s sister, Isley Tidwell, said.
Kia was driving home and talking to one of her children when she was fatally struck by the stray bullet. Her mother said the deceased victim had just left her house.
“My daughter had just left my house. On her way Friday, she stopped by, and she said she was going home to cook for her other children, her youngest, who’s not even 5 yet, and her granddaughter who is 2,” Kia’s mother, Charlotte Tidwell, said. “We going to take it further. We’re going to take it as far as we can. It don’t stop here. We can’t allow it to stop here.”
An investigation into the fatal incident has since been launched, though authorities are yet to make any arrests, ABC7 Chicago reported. “There were multiple people who witnessed there that incident, and we are asking the public to respond to this senseless, terrible act,” Gary Police Chief Derrick Cannon said.
“Enough is enough. This is a call to action for the community to step forth to figure out what can we do collectively as a community so we can prevent this from happening again,” Gary Mayor Eddie Melton added. “We stand right with them, with stand by them. This is not just their loss. It’s the city of Gary’s loss.”
Police said that besides actively scrutinizing the scene, they have also obtained footage and interacted with witnesses. Despite those efforts, they said it is very crucial for witnesses to assist them with their investigations.
“We cannot tolerate individuals committing crimes of this nature, and we don’t speak up. We know for a fact that several individuals know what happened,” Lake County State’s Attorney Bernard Carter said.
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help raise funds for the deceased victim’s family.
